Roasted Hatch Chile Corn Chowder
Sinkology is proud to present Emily Schuermann, our food-loving guest blogger who runs Food for a Year. Emily is here to share some recipes she has created exclusively for the Sinkology blog that reflect her view of a copper sink: simple, timeless, affordable, and beautifully rustic.
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As Summer starts to wind down, those last ears of sweet corn are ripening in perfect time with Hatch chile peppers — and it’s that delicious combination of garden produce that’s the inspiration for this recipe.
2 Key Ingredients :: HATCH CHILES + SWEET CORN
Because these two ingredients are the real stars of this chowder, there are a few extra steps to take in order to help their favors really stand out.
– Sweet Corn
First, let’s talk about this gorgeous sweet corn. If you have access to freshly picked sweet corn, definitely use that in this recipe BUT frozen corn on the cob will work great too.
Start by shucking the corn and removing any bad spots and extra silk. Boil the corn for 6-8 minutes and SAVE the corn boiling water this step is KEY!! Next, prop the corn on its end and remove the corn kernels using a sharp knife. I propped mine in a shallow baking pan to catch all the fly aways and juices. The LAST tip for maximum sweet corn flavor :: SAVE the cobs! They’ll be added back to the chowder as it’s boiling.
By saving these 2 ingredients we’re grabbing all the flavor out of that fresh corn and putting right into our chowder!
– Hatch Chiles
Now let’s discuss the Hatch chili peppers. These peppers are always available in the late summer and their name comes from the fact that they’re famously grown in Hatch, NM.
Hatch chiles have a controlled heat that’s typically milder than a jalapeño (although beware, every so often you’ll come across a naughty, fiery one).
They’re perfect for roasting because their skin is tough and their flesh thick. If you don’t have access to these peppers when fresh, you can always find small cans of roasted Hatch chiles on the salsa aisle of your supermarket.
HOW TO ROAST :
I roasted these chiles for about 10 minutes at 400°. Once roasting is complete, remove form the oven, cover until cooled and then peeled off (and discard) the tough skin. The roasted flavor of this chili is intensely peppery, a little smoky and more than a little spicy – the perfect partner to sweet, creamy corn!
Once the chiles and corn on the cob are prepped and the onions and celery translucent, the rest of this chowder comes together in very short order:
- a quick cook on the minced garlic
- add diced potatoes
- liquid
- corn cobs*
- roasted chiles
- cream
- cornstarch slurry
- cut corn kernels
Simmer to thicken, season to taste and garnish with lime zest and cilantro. (Don’t forget to remove the corn cobs!) BOOM! In a matter of a few minutes dinner is served!
My favorite part of this recipe (besides the taste) is that by utilizing things I’d typically discard*, I’ve maximized that marvelous sweet corn flavor in such a that it’s strong enough to be noticed next to the bold flavors of the Hatch chiles.
The simplest things can bring such delight! This Roasted Hatch Chile Corn Chowder is really so, so easy to prepare – and the flavors are such a delicious comfort.
Roasted Hatch Chile Corn Chowder
- 1 medium white onion, diced
- 1 c celery, diced
- 1 T garlic, minced
- 6 ears of fresh (or frozen if fresh isn’t available)
- 2 T butter, salted
- 2 T cooking oil
- 3 medium potatoes, peeled and diced
- 8 oz roasted Hatch chili peppers, diced (canned or freshly roasted)
- 3 c heavy whipping cream
- 4 c reserved cooking water from boiling the corn
- 1 c chicken stock, more to desired thickness
- 3/8 c cornstarch
- 2-3 t kosher salt
- pepper to taste
- cilantro, to garnish
- zest of 1 lime, to garnish
In a 8-9 qt soup pot over medium flame, heat butter and oil together. Once the butter is melted, add onions and celery. Cook until translucent, about 10 minutes stirring occasionally.
Next, add garlic and cook for an additional 2-3 minutes.
While the onions + celery are cooking, boil the ears of corn (whether fresh or frozen to heat and tenderize) approximately 8 minutes depending on the size of your corn. **Be sure to reserve the cooking liquid to use for the chowder.** Allow the cobs to cool and then, standing each ear on its end in a shallow baking dish, use a sharp knife to remove the kernels of corn. Save the cobs. Set kernels aside to be added at the end.
Add the diced potatoes, reserved corn water and reserved cobs (this is the step maximizes the sweet corn flavor!).
Bring the liquid to a boil until the potatoes begin to break apart. Mash the potatoes until almost completely broken down. Add chiles and return to a boil.
Prepare a slurry by whisking together chicken stock and cornstarch in a small bowl. Pour the slurry & cream into the soup pot and return to a boil to thicken (5-10 minutes).
Remove corn cobs, add corn kernels and season to taste.
Garnish with cilantro and lime zest.
Serves 12.
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